1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to improvements in packaging for enclosing a hypodermic needle, and a hypodermic needle and syringe combination. The packaging maintains sterility and reduces the likelihood or injury to the manipulator, when placing the needle or syringe/needle combination in its protective guard, after use.
2. Brief Description of the Prior Art
Various prior packaging designs have been configured upon the concept of facilitating a manipulation of a needle or a syringe/needle combination into, or out of, a protective sterile packaging. Prior art techniques known to Applicant are represented by the U.S. patents, as follows:
ROEHR, 3,107,785 PA1 HAMILTON, 3,021,942 PA1 CASTELLI, 3,149,717 PA1 WALDMAN, Jr. 3,329,146 PA1 BURKE, 3,333,682 PA1 MacLEAN, 3,344,787 PA1 RYCROFT, 3,865,236 PA1 WICKHAM, 4,237,882 PA1 AKHAVI, 4,240,427
In summary, while certain of these patents illustrate needle packages having flanged entrance designs, there is not found a teaching which suggests that a widely divergent cap and protector barrel design might be employed, completely to cover the exposed forefinger and thumb area of a user when replacing the cap or barrel.
The listed patents primarily illustrate different techniques for protecting sterility of a needle, while facilitating attachment of the needle to a syringe. MacLEAN and HAMILTON specifically note that the problem of accidental stabbing exists; however, both HAMILTON (column 1, lines 15-70) and MacLEAN focus upon a stabbing during the step of attaching the needle to the syringe, and do not address the more serious problem of stabbing when subsequently inserting a protective barrel over the needle, after use.
ROEHR and BURKE illustrate typical, narrow barrels for needles which require very accurate axial manipulation of a needle, to ensure a resinsertation without a finger stab.
The art appears to have focused upon improving techniques for threading a needle hub onto a collar, while facilitating alignments. The 1962 flange teachings of HAMILTON do not provide finger protection when the barrel is grabbed about barrel surface 15. Similarly, the Baxter Labs patent in the name of WALDMAN focuses upon an improved facility for a wrenching action, to manipulate a hub interlock.
The 1967 teachings in the patent to MacLEAN incidentally illustrate the common extent of lateral finger exposure, in a patent concerned with a needle mounting hub, having columns of separate threads, better to enable a tightening.
The most recent patents illustrate continuing interest in providing a protective barrel which acts as a wrench, and manufacturing enhancements for various interconnect thread designs. The Becton and Dickinson patent in the name of RYCROFT, also shows a check valve, to facilitate sealing of the needle from the atmosphere. The Sherwood Medical Industries patent, in the name of WICKHAM, shows a separate syringe barrel extension and barrel needle connector, of the type reproduced herein at FIG. 7. The American Hospital Supply patent in the name of AKHAVI emphasizes a beveling technique on a needle hub, to facilitate high-speed manufacture of such assemblies, without locking up the needle hub against an otherwise conventional protector barrel threads.
In summary, known syringe and needle protector barrel designs appear to focus upon interlock structures to enable a more accurate and positive connection of the needle to the syringe, while maintaining the sterility between the protector barrel and the needle. The present invention addresses an entirely different problem; accidental stabbing when the needle protector is being replaced over the needle, after use. The prior art does not suggest a axially flanged, funnel-shaped entrance guide means projecting upwardly from the barrel, to act as a guard for the operator's fingers; which invariably will surround the entrance end of a protective barrel during needle reinsertion.